Religion affects the lives of its followers by...

1. Sense of Belonging

1.1. Religion affects the lives of its followers by giving them a sense of belonging. In the Hindu caste system it states that, "The priestly class, born from the mouth of the Brahma." This leads me to believe that the higher social class you are, the higher you are born out of the Brahma. I think this because I know that priest's are the highest social class and the mouth is at the top of a human's body. This could help people feel a sense of belonging because someone might be able to find friends easier if they look for people in the same social class. I think that if you are to meet someone that is in the same social class as you, then you might automatically feel a connection between the two of you because of this very important similarity.

2. Understanding of Life

2.1. Religion affects the lives of its followers by giving them a better understanding of life. I believe this, because in the Ten Commandments it states "You shall not kill, and you shall not steal." Some people might think that they need to do these things in order to survive. Most people don't have a problem with not doing these things, but if you were on the edge of doing these things before you were religious then being religious could help you understand why those aren't good things to do. If you were to get very religious then you might start reading religious texts and it could give you a since of understanding.

3. Handling Adversity

3.1. Religion affects the lives of its followers by helping them handle adversity. The Five Pillars of Faith states that "Each Muslim must give charity and help the needy." Since Muslims are encouraged by their religion to give charity, it helps people that are facing adversity. When people are handling adversity, praying could give them a sense of calm. They believe that whatever adversity they are facing will get answered by that prayer.